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For those who like melodic, somewhat anthemic, approachable rock music, it probably hasn’t been a great last few years for you. Making fun of the banality of bands like Coldplay isn’t even fun anymore; sure you’ve got your Bon Iver types out there, but they won’t exactly whip crowds into a frenzy. Younger bands are doing a whole range of things, but it seems too often that gimmickry, rather than greatness, wins the day. Surely there’s a place for good music in this style that doesn’t sound like it’s trying too hard, or bored with itself.

Enter Snowmine to cure what ails you. With their style of music – lush soundscapes, soaring vocal runs, atmospheric samples – words like “beautiful” or “pleasant” don’t have negative or ironic connotations. Frontman Grayson Sanders has a sweet voice with range to spare, and he puts it to good use on songs like “Rome”, which has a similarly uplifting vibe to some of the better stuff in the Yeasayer catalog. Sanders lends the band’s songs some lovely vocal runs, but without the bombast that afflicts some of his peers. Snowmine are still a young band, and this show was part of that rite of passage any New York band is familiar with, the Pianos residency. The band took over the incubator-style room with a level of effort that suggests they have a real shot, bringing to bear a full-on stage setup with video projections, and even playing an (gasp!) encore. Their fully-realized sound seems more than up to the task of taking down venues ten or a hundred times this size. My money’s on that they make it.

hi and lo and I recorded this set with Schoeps MK5 cardioid microphones and a stereo soundboard feed. While Pianos crowds are notoriously chatty, the soundboard feed’s excellent balance allowed the mics to remain in the background, and as a result, we have an excellent recording. Enjoy!

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Snowmine
2012-02-16
Pianos
New York, NY, USA

Exclusive download hosted at nyctaper.com
Recorded and produced by hi and lo

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